The Zero's Wolf
by Holly442
Summary: Louise had worked all of her life to be the mage her mother and father wanted her to be. She failed. Summoning her familiar was her final chance to prove herself, but instead of summoning a familiar, Louise summoned a wolf.
1. Chapter 1

_The Zero's Wolf_

_"Once upon a time, there was a girl who hadn't seen her mother in seven years.  
>In the woods, on her way to her mother, she met a wolf."<em>

Louise jolted awake in a cold sweat, and shot upright in her bed. She heaved out ragged breaths, trying to remember the dream that had startled her awake. Somehow, so soon after waking up, it had faded almost completely. Louise could only remember a shape – the silhouette of a vicious three-headed wolf, with burning crimson eyes.

It was an unsettling dream for sure, and Louise had no idea why she would even dream of such a thing.

Louise cringed the moment her bare feet touched the wooden floor. It was still fairly early in the year, so the mornings and evenings could still become rather brisk. Worst of all, early in the mornings, the floorboards were _freezing_. Louise mentally reminded herself that she needed to somehow procure herself a pair of slippers. How she had forgotten to bring a pair this year was beyond her.

She padded to her mirror in a zombie-like state and left herself fall in the cushioned chair. Reflected was a girl she barely recognized anymore. Her long pink locks framed a face that was sickly pale, and the dark circles under her maroon eyes showed just how much sleep deprivation had taken a toll. She might have been able to sleep like a normal person if she didn't always dread what the next day would bring.

It was the beginning of her second year at the Tristain Academy of Magic, and Louise prayed and prayed to God and the Founder that it wouldn't be as bad as her first. Prayers, she knew, that were most likely in vain.

Louise attended the most prestigious school on the continent, and yet she was a complete failure as a mage. She had worked her fingers to the bone her entire life to become the mage her mother and father wanted her to be, but Louise could never live up to such steep expectations. Louise knew the theory inside-out – she had mastered it, so much so that one might believe it had all just been written on the insides of her eyelids.

But despite all of her hard work, Louise couldn't cast a single spell to her name. It was like having a handful of dirt thrown in her face. Louise often hoped her botched attempts at spellwork would simply end with nothing at all, but no matter what, no matter her focus, the incantation, the flick of her wrist, or the hopes in her heart, every single one of Louise's spells just blew up in her face – literally.

Louise thanked her lucky stars everyday she hadn't yet been responsible for a death. That was sort of thing she wouldn't be able to live with. Despite never hurting anybody, Louise was still the cause of quite a bit of property damage, including several uniforms, desks, walls, windows, and one set of singed eyebrows. Louise was more than glad those had grown back in.

There was only one last thing Louise could do to prove to everybody that she was a real mage. Today, Louise had to summon her familiar. It was her final chance.

If today would end in failure…

Somehow, running away and disappearing into some dark hole seemed like the best option.

o.o.o

"I'm surprised to see you up so early, Zero."

The meager enjoyment Louise had gotten from breakfast fell out from under her. She glared down at the food on her plate, all too aware of the unpleasantness had suddenly taken up residence across the table.

"Then again, I suppose sleeping in on a day like today would finally get you expelled. That would just be _too_ convenient, wouldn't it?"

Louise slowly looked up, clenching the fork and knife tight in her tiny hands. She'd love nothing more than to throw both utensils across the table and have them stick right between the other girl's eyes, but doing something like that would be considered amongst her peers to be 'inappropriate'. It would also likely be murder, and that was bad as well.

"Zerbst," Louise spat. The name left a sour taste all on its own. "Go somewhere else."

Kirche von Zerbst had quickly become the absolute _bane_ of Louise's existence. Kirche was an exchange student from Germania, or at least that's what she told everybody. The rumors going around said that Kirche had fled home to avoid marriage to a much older Lord. Whatever the reason, Louise simply loathed the fact that Kirche von Zerbst had to be here.

The Germanian had hair that reached all the way to her bottom, colored in a brilliant shade of crimson. It was only matched by the darkness of her skin, the bright golden of her eyes, and the eye-pleasing flow of her hourglass figure. Kirche von Zerbst was the most beautiful girl in the entire school. Louise wasn't quite so 'gifted'. She had often been told she had a pretty face, but that was where things seemed to have ended. Louise was short, she was scrawny, and she had the same figure as a piece of lumber.

Kirche returned Louise's glare. "You know, I'd love to, honestly, but there aren't any other places free."

Every day, Louise sat at the same place in the dining hall – at the far end of the absurdly long table meant for the second-years. Usually, nobody ever came to sit here aside from one other girl Louise knew from her class. She was a quiet blue-haired transfer from Gallia who only went by the name of Tabitha. Tabitha never spoke, and she barely ate. Most of the time she simply read her book in silence until everybody left for class.

There were at least a dozen more seats than second year students so Louise was never stuck between two other people, but Tabitha, for some odd reason, always opted to sit at the end of the table with her. Louise had no idea why. She had thought once that maybe this Tabitha person often slept in as well and always arrived after the tables had filled up, but it wasn't so. Tabitha was usually already sitting here when Louise arrived, but she didn't particularly mind. Tabitha didn't talk, or even look at her, so Louise was content.

Kirche, however, seemed to have drawn the short end of the stick today. The Zerbst and Valliére families had been rivals for generations, so Louise wasn't ever going to back down, and Kirche seemed to have a similar mentality. Despite that, Louise fully realized that this rivalry that had been carried down for hundreds of years had devolved to nothing more than petty squabbles and childish insults.

Louise might have been able to brush all of it off if she didn't simply despite Kirche von Zerbst to the core. They were rather opposite in regards to their work ethic. Louise tried her hardest at everything, and she wasn't afraid at admit it. She would try, and if she failed, she would get up and try again. Kirche, however, _never_ tried. Louise would studiously take notes and pay the utmost attention in class, absorbing every little detail, while Kirche would merely lean back in her seat and make eyes at all of the boys. Kirche's academics were on the verge of having her expelled – her practical exams were the only things keeping her around. Kirche never tried, because she didn't have to. She passed every practical test without even breaking a sweat.

And that made Louise seriously _hate_ the girl sitting on the other side of the table. She had been told by her kind-hearted sister that hate was a strong word, but in Louise's opinion it wasn't strong enough. Why should Kirche be so successful without even trying, while she worked like a dog and was rewarded with only failure?

It was almost enough to drive somebody mad.

"I see your little friend isn't with you today," Kirche remarked mockingly.

Louise had returned to her breakfast. She refused to grace Kirche with another glance. "She isn't my friend." Tabitha was nearly on equal terms with Kirche in regards to their magical prowess. The only reason Louise didn't despise Tabitha was because Tabitha never rubbed it in her face.

"Of course not," Kirche scoffed. "_Zero_ friends too. Cute."

Louise twitched.

"I don't see why not though," Kirche went on, twirling her fork. "I mean, she's just as much of a social outcast as you are."

"Shut up."

"I just hope that when you fail today you finally get expelled."

Louise's hands tightened around her utensils again, and started shaking.

"Because it only makes sense, doesn't it?" Kirche idly gnawed on a sausage, impolitely chewing with her mouth full. "You don't even belong here, really. Or maybe you could take up a job as a maid. I heard that they've been –"

Louise slammed her hands flat against the table, causing her plate to jump half an inch. Even Kirche jolted, startled by the sudden sound of ringing glassware. A few other nearby stopped what they were doing to look on at the newest altercation between Valliére and Zerbst. Louise shot to her feet, so fast that her chair was almost flung over backward.

"Just you wait…" Louise hissed through gritted teeth. Her face had grown as red as an apple and was twisted in on itself in anger. She gazed down upon Kirche, suddenly wishing she was as imposing as that fearsome wolf she had dreamt of. Kirche merely sat in silence, her fork poised near her mouth. "Just you wait."

Without another word, Louise spun on her heel and strode out of the dining hall with her head held high, and Kirche von Zerbst stared after, brow cocked.

o.o.o

Louise had left the dining hall much earlier than anybody else in her class, aside from one person. The familiar summonings were to take place in the Academy's Vestri Courtyard, and they were to be led by one of the senior instructors. Such an instructor wasn't present as of yet, so Louise had to begrudgingly ditch the idea of trying now while there were the least amount of eyes on her.

The Springtime Familiar Summoning was the most important exam Louise would perform at the Academy. In order to carry on in her second year she _had_ to pass it, and passing meant summoning and binding a familiar. If she failed, Louise would simply be sent home.

No mage to study at the Tristain Academy of Magic had ever failed to summon a familiar. Louise did not want to be that first.

The only other person present was the girl who had been absent from breakfast this morning – Tabitha. Tabitha sat on the grass with her back against one of the Academy's stone walls, staff against her shoulder and nose deep in a book. Louise wondered if Tabitha even noticed that she was standing against the wall only half a dozen feet away.

Louise didn't have to wait long in the strangely comfortable silence. The rest of the second-year class had finally begun filing into the courtyard. Most of them seemed excited as they chatted amiably amongst themselves about what they hoped to summon today.

As they all gathered in the middle of the courtyard, Louise saw that a professor was among them. She recognized the gleam of Professor Colbert's balding head even at this distance. Professor Colbert was a tall, bespectacled man with a kind face. He wore a long set of navy blue robes and carried a long wooden staff. Louise was rather fond of Professor Colbert. He was a genuinely nice man, and Louise suspected he wouldn't ever hurt a fly.

But despite that fondness Louise's stomach twisted, cold with dread and doubt.

Louise left Tabitha, who seemed as if she still hadn't even noticed the world around her, and tentatively approached the edge of the group as if the ground itself was made of eggshells. She pulled at the collar of her shirt, suddenly feeling suffocated.

"Now, now, everybody settle down!" Colbert boomed jovially to the crowd of chattering students. "It's a big class this year and there are a lot summonings to get through, so let's get started right away. Who would like to go first?"

Louise couldn't tell how many people cried out to go first. There was no way Louise could volunteer. She wouldn't be able to take the laughter. She would be dead last.

"Good luck."

Startled, Louise turned to find Tabitha at her side. The Gallian eyed Louise over her glasses, but only for a moment. Tabitha squeezed through the crowd, not unlike a snake, and disappeared almost immediately.

o.o.o

Louise could only watch in despair as every single one of her classmates approached the summoning circle, and was met with complete success. It was heart-wrenching. There were few people in her class that Louise wouldn't wish some sort of ill will on, so bearing witness to their successes over and over was pure torture.

Many of the familiars summoned were run-of-the-mill creatures. There were plenty of cats, owls, and snakes to go around. Louise couldn't help but take notice of a few of the rarer creatures milling about. One student had summoned a basilisk, a fearsome reptile, and another had come away from the summoning circle with an extremely rare bugbear. Much to Louise's ire, the von Zerbst girl had managed to summon a fully-grown fire salamander. It was a large reptile, ten feet long with scales of crimson and a tail tipped with a burning flame.

It was only overshadowed by the familiar Tabitha had summoned. The massive dragon was easily the size of two carriages. It had cerulean blue scales covering its entire body, save for the white underbelly. The dragon's piercing emerald eyes were enough to take anybody aback, and the rows of black horns along its head and neck only added to its impressive appearance.

A dragon was a dangerous summon. It was a wind dragon, matching Tabitha's elemental affinity, so it wouldn't be breathing fire any time soon, but its claws and teeth both offered plenty of lethality. Tabitha had merely approached the creature, and bound it with no issues at all. Tabitha was the star of this year's Springtime Familiar Summoning. True to her nature, while she received great applause and congratulation, Tabitha ignored everybody and led her familiar away from the summoning circle. After that, she stood at the edge of the ring of students, and flipped open her book.

If she were to ask, Louise wondered if Tabitha would explain how she was so easily able to block out the world.

That thought was quickly dropped when Louise realized that after one of her pudgier classmates was graced with an owl, there was nobody left to summon a familiar but her. If she failed today, it would just be her and her alone. Louise took a few deep breaths, and steeled herself. She had to succeed, no matter what. She _had_ to.

_Please…_

Vestri Courtyard was eerily silent as Professor Colbert scribbled down some final notes on a piece of parchment, using a hard-covered book as a writing surface. When he finally looked up, his face was warm and welcoming. "Now, have we gone through everyone?"

"No, not yet!"

Louise nearly left her shoes from fright. The voice had come from right behind her ear. She felt herself only lightly nudged forward, but it was enough to send her stumbling to the front of the crowd. Louise whipped her head around and gave Kirche the most venomous glare she could muster.

Kirche's smirk only grew wider. The fire salamander was curled at her feet. "Louise hasn't gone yet."

When Louise turned back she saw Professor Colbert's face light up in realization, before it quickly hardened. She hazarded a guess and figured he knew what was likely about to happen just as well as she did. "Very well." Colbert motioned towards the summoning circle. "Miss Vallière, if you will."

It took nearly everything Louise had to take the first step. It felt like she was fighting against hurricane winds, and the sting of everyone's eyes on her was almost unbearable. She could hear them chattering to each other like a bunch of mindless idiots. People wondered what she, Louise the Zero, could possibly summon. Others had already firmly decided that Louise wasn't going to summon anything, and this moment was only going to be an embarrassment to herself and her family name. Some seemed to be still on the fence, however. She could clearly hear the group of boys betting on her success or failure.

Louise didn't even have the presence of mind to get angry. It only dampened her spirits even more. Professor Colbert had the chalk ready for her, and as Louise approached she noted that his face had turned to one of sympathy. He gave her a nod. "All the best to you, Miss Valliére."

There was no time wasted. Louise immediately got to work, with slow, deliberate, clipped movements. A summoning circle could be as complex or as simple as the mage deigned it to be. Complex circles would bring forth more powerful familiars, while simpler circles would gift the mage with something a little more mundane. Kirche and Tabitha had laboriously drawn out the most complicated of circles. Louise wasn't going all-out. She kept hers as simple as magically possible. There were no second chances here. If Louise drew out a complicated circle and mucked it up somewhere along the way the results would be disastrous. With her track record, people would certainly be maimed or killed in the aftermath.

_Don't think about it,_ Louise told herself over and over. _Don't think about it. Just draw the circle. Forget about all of those blithering idiots…_

Standing straight, Louise felt her back cry out in relief. She handed off the chalk to the Professor, and stood at the edge of the same summoning circle she'd learned to create in class. This was it. She made the mistake of casting a glance over the watching faces. There were nothing but snide grins, discontented glares, and impatient frowns to meet her.

_Please…_ Louise grasped her wand tight in a shaking fist. _Please work…_

She sucked in a lungful of air, and belted out the words the best she could.

"My familiar, who lives somewhere in the universe! Oh sacred, beautiful, and strong familiar spirit! I desire and here I plead from my heart! Answer to my guidance, and appear!"

Louise gave her wand a final, decisive flick, and then absolutely nothing happened. There was a tense silence, broken only by the sounds of her shrill voice echoing off the Academy's walls. Louise refused to move. She stood firm with her wand in an iron-clad grasp.

Slowly, her wand arm fell. "No…" Louise breathed.

"Miss Valliére," Professor Colbert sighed. "I'm afraid that –"

Somehow, less than seconds before it happened, Louise knew her summoning circle was about to explode. She could feel the magic in the air _shift_. She whirled away from the circle, and barely made it two clumsy steps before the explosion took her off her feet.

When Louise hit the ground face-first she was deaf to the world. She couldn't even will herself to move as she lay in the grass, with dirt raining down upon her back. It was muffled, but she could hear panic-stricken voices coming from all around, and for good reason. Louise couldn't ever remember creating an explosion like that before in her life. It had _hurt_. All of her insides churned, and her head was a muddled mess.

And then she was facing the sky. Louise saw Professor Colbert's soot-covered face creased in concern, but it was impossible to focus on. He was saying something to her, yelling it in fact, but Louise couldn't hear a word. It was all just the same, single-pitched ring. Beyond Colbert's face, she could see blue sky through the gaps in the acrid, dark smoke wafting overhead.

As Louise strained herself up to a sit with Colbert's sure hand on her back, she suddenly felt like emptying her breakfast onto her own lap. When Louise looked on towards the devastation she had wrought, she couldn't believe her eyes. As the smoke cleared, something stirred within. Louise's heart felt like it leapt a mile.

Somebody took the liberty of carrying the smoke away with a sharp gust of wind. As it curled away, Louise could finally see what she summoned. Her heart's leap fell short.

It was a person.

They wore a grey long coat with a hood pulled up over their head, and a cracked and split ceramic mask covering their face. It looked like it had bore a rather mocking face before it had been broken. Louise saw the slight curves, and immediately assumed this person was a woman. If this person truly was a woman, then they were a woman armed to the teeth – Louise could see a sabre sheathed on their waist, two rather strange looking pistols holstered on her hips, and a musket on her back.

The masked woman staggered a few steps, before promptly collapsing into a heap. Louise could only watch as the world burst into a flurry of panic around her.

What had she done?

Her mother was going to kill her.

o.o.o

Louise sat alone in the infirmary for the entirety of the day.

At least, she was alone in the fact that she was the only one conscious. She had gotten exactly what she asked for. Louise had her familiar, and she had never imagined she would have been terribly picky. Summoning an impressive beast was one thing, and very admirable thing, but summoning a human, a _person,_ was just impossible. It was a fact. People did not become familiars.

But this person was what appeared – she had answered the summons.

And the one who had answered the summons looked more like a young girl than a woman. Her long hair was a deep violet, so deep it was almost black, and her skin was a pale, almost milky white. There seemed to be dark circles permanently etched in place beneath her eyes, and her features were slight and sharp. If it wasn't for her ghastly complexion, Louise thought this girl would have been rather pretty.

The sun had long fallen beneath the mountains and the infirmary had mercifully ceased to be an annoying, bustling beehive of activity. The Academy's healers and every member of the staff had been in and out all day long. She had been bombarded with a hailstorm of questions, none she had the answer to. Louise had performed the Springtime Familiar Summoning just as she had been taught in her classes.

Professor Colbert had made off with the girl's possessions – her weapons specifically. He had apparently decided they were very interesting, and they must be studied more closely. Louise didn't particularly care.

The whole school would be talking by now. Louise was glad to be ignorant of it all, even if it would only be until morning. She was used to the looks, the whispering behind hands, and the laughing. She had long ago begun to loathe every second spent within the Academy's walls. Just for once, in her miserable little life, Louise wanted to feel a sense of normality.

Louise's thought process had been rapidly changing over the course of the last few hours. She had been angry first. She was angry at herself for all of her failures, angry at the world for all of the idiots and clowns living in it, angry at the Founder for tainting her magic, and angry at this girl for answering her summons.

Even Louise knew that being angry wouldn't solve this problem. She had begun to accept what had happened, contemplated it to the point where it even gave her a stomach ache, and decided that she would keep the girl as her familiar. From the moment this person was summoned, she was Louise's responsibility. Louise was a noble, and nobles took their responsibilities seriously. She would wait here until the person awoke, no matter how long it took, and then after explaining the oddness and absurdity of the situation, she would hopefully get some answers.

Then, hours later, Louise had turned desperation. This girl was her only magical success. Literally the _only_ one – and this magical success had complete free will. Louise had thought that was a good thing at first. She'd have quite the intelligent familiar, after much grooming of course. It didn't take Louise long to realize, however, that this person's free will was absolutely _not_ a good thing. Louise was filled with sudden dread.

Who in their right mind would actually agree to being bound as a familiar? Forcing somebody into that kind of contract was akin to slavery. If this woman said no, and Louise knew with all her heart that she would, her only proof she belonged in the ranks of nobility would be gone forever.

Which was why, in her fit of desperation, Louise did something dastardly. She stood over the sleeping woman, her heart pounding, and held out her wand.

"My name is Louise Francoise le Blanc de la Valliére." She licked the dryness from her lips. "Pentagon of the Five Elemental Powers, bless this humble being, and make it my familiar."

Louise bent down, cupped the girl's cheek, and mentally prepared herself for what was to come next. Feeling squeamish, she forced her lips against the girl's for a few seconds, before reeling away. She furiously wiped her mouth on her sleeve, and as she did, she slowed in amazement. A bright light had sprung forth from the girl's left hand. In her sleep, the girl grimaced and groaned and writhed, until the light finally faded. Louise tentatively graced her fingers over the long set of runes embedded into the back of the girl's hand. The skin was hot to the touch.

It had worked. She had bound the girl.

Louise laughed a single, distant laugh. She had bound a person as her familiar, against their will. Was that a horrible thing to do? Professor Colbert hadn't specifically said, 'don't bind the girl until she wakes up and you've asked her properly.' Of course, vaguely disobeying Professor was the least on her conscience now. What she had just done was a horrible thing to do.

She gazed down at the sleeping girl, stomach twisting and rolling. Louise often wished that life was like a book being written. If she didn't like what she had just put down on that page, she could merely tear it away and start anew.

Then, Louise realized that half of her stomach's twisting wasn't because of apprehension, but because of hunger – she hadn't eaten since breakfast. It was late now, well after supper. With a sigh of resignation, Louise decided she would just have to visit the kitchens to be fed.

Only moments after Louise disappeared through the door, the girl in the bed stirred.

o.o.o

She awoke, and couldn't remember a single, damned thing.

Some of those things were quite vital too. She didn't know her own name, where she lived, or what she did for a living. In the bed, she remained in a stupor for some time. Something must have happened, something bad. Amnesia, wasn't it? That wasn't a good thing. She had wondered once what it must be like to have amnesia, to forget everything, even your own birthday. It was kind of a downer.

Then she realized that she had just remembered a thing, and that made her happy. She focused her mind, trying to remember more and more.

She came up empty.

She sighed loudly, and dejectedly. Straining, she forced herself up into a sit. It felt like she had taken a hit from a speeding train. Despite the physical anguish, she decided to look on the bright side. At least she could remember what a train was. _Another thing remembered! _She thought triumphantly. Though, she doubted that knowledge would ever come in handy.

The room around her was a little old-fashioned. The walls were smoothed stone, and on a nearby table a single lantern flickered. She was glad she could remember some of the basics. Knowing this room was old-fashioned kept the ball rolling. She must have hit her head _really_ hard.

She had the suspicion that she hadn't hit something, per say. Something had hit her, and it had hurt.

Pulling the covers away she found that she was left here in only her underclothes – a pair of cotton shorts and a sleeveless tunic. The rest of her things couldn't be far away, right? There were a dozen beds in this room alone. Was this some sort of hospital? Why was this place like some kind of medieval stone castle? Looking around, she saw a hooded grey greatcoat hanging from a hook, and a pair of folded trousers and high leather boots on the floor near that. For some reason she knew those were hers. Yet, she was still missing some important possessions.

Her mouth seemed to work itself into motion. "Alanna…" She croaked to nobody in particular. Was that supposed to be her name? "Alanna…"

Alanna perked up. She could hear the clopping of shoes on stonework echoing through the hallway outside. Her stomach clenched. Despite being apparently under care, Alanna didn't feel safe. It was like she was in a place she didn't belong. She needed to hide.

She snorted. Why would she hide from somebody? People should be hiding from her!

_Because you're not armed you idiot_.

Alanna wondered why in the World she would be armed.

_Because of Cerberus, idiot._

Something clicked. "Oh _shit_."

o.o.o

Siesta had worked as a maid at Tristain's Academy of Magic for over two years now, and she firmly believed that despite most of the company, it was the best job she ever had. Her co-workers had become like family to her. They were probably the closest things to family she would ever find since her father's passing. Siesta was alone in this world.

The head maid had instructed her to periodically check in on the injured girl in the infirmary, and the little noble girl waiting at her side as well. Try as she might, Siesta had thus far failed to get Miss Valliére to eat a single bite. Siesta had found herself sent away on every occasion, rather venomously at that.

That wouldn't be a problem this time. Siesta had already met Miss Valliére in the hallway. "Yes," the noble had said with a roll of her eyes. "I'm finally going to eat now. Be on your way, maid."

That only took care of half of Siesta's problem. She still had to check on the sleeping girl again. Siesta was no healer, but she was fairly certain that the girl was going to be just fine, and all of this walking around was unnecessary.

That is, until Siesta made an unpleasant discovery. She stopped at the bed by the window, and gazed down at the ruffled sheets in horror. The girl was gone. Only one thought rang through her mind – _I'm going to be fired!_

Siesta felt like pulling her hair out and shrieking, as if it would solve anything. Moreover, she knew the wrath of a noble was surely on its way. She whirled around to run from the room, to seek help, but she didn't get very far. During the few short minutes when nobody had been in the room the girl had somehow gotten up and put all of her clothes back on. Siesta didn't know how she hadn't seen it before, but the girl casually lounged across the room on one of the desks.

And her eyes were two pinpricks in the darkness, burning a deep, hateful crimson. Siesta leapt back with a frightened scream, and oddly, the girl nearly fell from the desk while letting out her own shrill cry that sounded less like a scream, and more like a crow's squawk. Siesta unintentionally backed in to the foot of a bed, and toppled over backward onto the sheets.

A thousand questions ran through Siesta's mind as she scrambled off the bed, and she had a thousand reasons to run, but one question was first and foremost. "Why did _you_ scream?"

The girl dropped down from the desk. "You scared me!"

"…I-I scared you?"

"Yeah, you scream really loud." The girl cleared her throat, stepping into the light. The redness in her eyes seemed to just vanish away, but it was replaced with something just as jarring. Her eyes were a piercing yellow, almost identical to an eagle's. "I'm, uh, not going to hurt you, by the way."

Siesta let out a relieved sigh. "I thought… I… I don't even know what I thought."

The girl laughed boisterously and flashed a wide grin. "So where's the rest of my stuff?"

Siesta cocked her head. "Your things? I'm afraid I…" She paused when the girl held up a hand.

Her grin fell away almost instantly. "Maybe I should rephrase what I said before. I'm not going to hurt you, _if_ you tell me where the rest of my stuff is."

Siesta blanched. "Wuh… what?"

"And if you keep lying…" The girl pointed to the lantern flickering away on the table. "I'm going to break that lamp over your head. I mean, that could probably kill you, right?"

"B-but…" Siesta tittered, suddenly filled with fear once again.

The girl promptly turned away, and made brisk strides for the table.

"Wait!" Siesta cried. "Don't! I-I-I believe P-Professor Colbert might have taken possession of your things, th-that's all I know!"

Shooting a glance over her shoulder, the girl smiled happily. It didn't quite reach her eyes. "See? That wasn't so hard. Where can I find this Professor Colbert person?"

Siesta swallowed. "P-Professor Colbert resides in a building… i-in Norori Courtyard." The girl turned around and cocked her head quizzically. Siesta pointed a shaking finger towards the window. "You… you can see it through the window."

The girl stalked over towards the window, and after a moment of staring, she came back and brushed past Siesta. "You look a little pale. Really, even more than I am. Maybe you should sit down or something."

Without a moment's hesitation, Siesta did just that. Her legs felt like jelly.

o.o.o

Alanna stomped down the stone corridor with a perpetual scowl etched into her features. They had literally taken everything but the clothes on her back, whoever these idiots were. Didn't they realize that was kind of rude?

From what Alanna had seen through the window she seemed to be in some old castle. Whatever building she was in was surrounded by towers, all interconnected by thick stone walls. How far off the beaten path was she?

Thankfully, Alanna now had an idea of where her things had ended up. She didn't know what kind of whacked-out place she was in, but she was getting the hell out. She didn't have the specific memories, but Alanna knew that she had been marked by Cerberus long ago. She seemed to know, without knowing, which was a very odd feeling. If somebody were to put a gun or sword in her hand she'd know exactly what to do.

For some reason, however, the benefits of being a Marked One weren't immediately clear to her. That did little to comfort her.

Alanna wondered if this was some kind of school, or something else. Maybe this Professor Colbert person was some crazed scientist who lived up in the mountains in some old castle performing experiments on young girls. Or maybe he exhumed fresh graves and patched the body parts together into one, working zombie. A necromancer? They were always ugly to deal with.

Alanna didn't remember much about herself, but she did know that a little outlandish, even for her.

She slowed. Somebody was coming towards her through the long stretch of curved hallway. Alanna couldn't see them yet, but she could sure as hell hear their footsteps, and she could smell the intoxicating aroma of cooked food. Alanna's stomach rumbled. She couldn't remember when she had eaten last, but it definitely hadn't been recently.

Alanna put that out of her mind. Begrudgingly, she decided she had to hide again. There was a door slightly ahead to her side, so she dashed for it and tried the handle. It was locked. Alanna hissed out a curse under her breath. The doorway was set deep into the stone wall, nearly two feet, so in desperation she huddled up in the corner and hoped that whoever was about to pass by wouldn't notice her. For once, she was thankful for her small stature.

Thankfully, the young girl who passed seemed to have lodged her head firmly up her own arse. She didn't even spare a glance. The girl had a rather exotic hair colour – bright pink, and wore a relatively plain school uniform, but at the same time she was wearing a _cape_ of all things. She carried a silver dinner tray packed tall with food, and from the expression on her face she was none too pleased.

Mages? Alanna didn't like the looks of this. Mages were good for one thing, in her opinion – being annoying, pompous dolts.

She grinned. Yet another thing remembered. Things were going well already.

Alanna emerged, made a face at the girl's back, and continued on down the hallway in search of stairs.

o.o.o

Louise's day certainly wasn't getting any better. She had gotten a meal prepared in the kitchens easily enough, but as soon as it had been announced it was ready everybody had disappeared. Even the head chef had vanished. Perhaps they had assumed she was going to eat her meal there. That assumption would earn somebody an earful. That annoying maid would serve nicely as her messenger.

Either way, Louise had been forced to carry the tray all the way up to the infirmary. She bristled every moment she thought about it. Then she realized a problem she was surely going to encounter. She had closed the infirmary's door, and had no hands free to open it. Louise bristled even more.

Strangely, however, the door to the infirmary had been left ajar. Louise paused, suddenly feeling as if something was amiss. Entering the infirmary right now somehow felt like an unwise decision. Louise brushed it off easily. She was a noble. Nobles weren't scared of dark rooms where the girl they'd just forced into a magical contract could be waiting to sink a knife in your back.

Tentatively, Louise pushed the door open with her foot and then immediately retreated back across the hallway. She squinted into the darkness, and saw a figure sitting on the edge of one of the beds. Louise breathed a sigh of relief. It was just that stupid maid.

"You're still here?" Louise asked pointedly, striding into the room. The maid jolted, as if she hadn't even noticed the door being pushed open. Her eyes were wide in surprise. Louise noted that she looked scared out of her mind. Louise almost wanted to scoff. Commoners scared easier than mice.

"L-Lady Valliére! I… I –"

"Don't you have other duties… to… to…" Louise slowed to a stop. The bed where her familiar had slept was now vacant. Only the maid sat on the edge. The tray nearly left Louise's hands as she balked. "W-w-w-where is she!?"

"She… well she…" The maid tittered.

Louise hastily settled the shaking tray down on the next bed. "Out with it, maid! Tell me what happened!"

"I-I came in here, a-and she wasn't in the bed," the maid explained, keeping her eyes downcast. "I turned around and she was behind me. She demanded to know where her things were being kept!"

"And you told her!?"

"Of course!" Siesta squeaked. Almost immediately she covered her mouth with a hand. "My apologies, Lady Valliére, I didn't mean to raise my –"

Louise waved it off. She was in no mood to care about something so trivial. "Did she _force_ you to tell her? Did she threaten you?"

"No…" Siesta lied. She looked away, her cheeks flushed with shame. "…She's scary."

Louise put that particular piece of information out of mind. She realized the horrible truth quickly. Her familiar was going to her things, and then she was going to run away. Louise could _not_ let that happen. Without another word, Louise turned on her heel and ran full speed out into the hallway. Louise vaguely heard the maid call for her and stand up to follow, but she ignored it. She had to get to Colbert's laboratory in Norori Courtyard before her familiar escaped.

And, for some reason, she felt rather concerned for Professor Colbert's wellbeing.

o.o.o

Jean Colbert watched the courier disappear through the Academy's gates. The letter he had written would take a few days to reach the Valliére estate, but he was sure they would want to know the newest, and surely oddest, development with their youngest.

He set out back to his laboratory in the corner of the courtyard – one of the few places he felt at peace. He was sure that this blustery, overcast night would be a late one. The young Valliére's summon had been carrying some fascinating equipment – a number of odd weapons. The first of the guns was a musket, much shorter than most he had seen. The mechanisms inside the weapon were what caught his interest. He had yet to completely figure out how the precisely-forged pieces worked together, but from what he had gathered the weapon was capable of being reloaded much faster than any musket. It was loaded from the breech, and fed by large, ghastly brass cylinders with a lead projectile stuck in the end.

Colbert was only one of the many who had a firm hate of firearms. Magic could be just as destructive, even more so in plenty of cases, but magic could be used for more than that. Magic could create, it could heal. Firearms only had one purpose – to kill. Colbert had once considered that one day firearms might become so advanced and dangerous that mages would have no chance against them. He had always been told that it was a ridiculous notion – the mind of a commoner couldn't possibly come up with such a complex idea.

If the woman's weapons were any indication, they had been dead wrong. Some group of people, somewhere, had a rather impressive set of firearms. Despite them being tools of death, Colbert couldn't help but be amazed by the mechanical precision. The girl's pistols were even more intriguing. It was shaped nothing like a conventional firearm, and seemed to be built upon the idea of firing multiple times before reloading. In the center of the gun there was a rotating cylinder with number of chambers bored out. Presumably that was where charge and shot were loaded.

Colbert had been about twenty paces away from the door of his rather unique residence when he noticed something alarming. The door had been left a few inches ajar. He gripped his staff, old instincts kicking in, and advanced with an incantation ready on his lips.

He barged in through the door, and immediately cast a spell that caused the lantern on his dining table to glow to life. "Who's there!?" He called.

At the back of the room, a figure whirled. Colbert quickly realized he had just found himself in the precarious position of looking down the barrel of a gun. It was the girl Louise had summoned. It seemed as if she had awoken during a lapse of supervision, and had come to gather her things.

Colbert kept his staff ready. "You've awoken," he observed.

The girl didn't move an inch. She stood sideways, holding her pistol straight out. It looked like a fairly normal stance to Colbert, but at the same time the girl was like a coiled spring. "I came for my things," she told him. In her other hand she held the broken mask she had worn before. Carelessly, she tossed it back onto the workbench. "Get out of my way."

"I cannot, in good conscience, allow you to leave."

"Oh?" Her fingers flexed on the pistol's grip. "I'd reconsider that."

Before Colbert could say anything else, the shrillest of voices squeaked through the night. "Professor Colbert!" Moments later, the voice's owner appeared in the doorway, out of breath. "Professor Colbert!" Louise cried again. "My familiar might be…" Finally, she noticed the tense situation in the room. "…Oh."

o.o.o

Alanna sat at Colbert's small, rectangular table, feeling completely awkward and out of place. While she sought to vanquish the strange atmosphere swirling about the room, the girl across the table seemed to have no such intentions. She merely stared, coldly and evenly, with her arms crossed in indignance. It hadn't taken long for Alanna to recognize the pink-haired girl as the same person she had hidden from up in that tower.

Colbert, the man who had barged in on her, had promised to explain everything to the best of his ability. Thus far, Alanna doubted he was either a crazy scientist or a necromancer.

Apparently tea was coming, courtesy of the same maid Alanna had threatened to bludgeon to death with a lamp. That was also awkward, but again, Alanna decided to look on the bright side of things. At least she could remember what tea was.

With a soft groan, Alanna let her head rest on her hand. "So who are you anyway?" She asked uninterestedly.

Across the table, the girl's face twitched. "I am Louise Francoise le Blanc de la Valliére," she announced. The pride and venom practically dripped from her voice all in one. "And you are?"

Alanna immediately formed the opinion that Louise's name was absolutely insane. "I'm pretty sure my name is Alanna. Or it could be somebody else's name. I really don't know."

Louise blinked. "You _don't know?_"

"I think I have amnesia," Alanna explained. "I hit my head, I guess."

The pink-haired girl with the insane name flopped onto the table like a fish and rested her head in her arms. "That's just my luck," she groaned. "Louise the Zero gets the amnesiac familiar."

Alanna held up her hand. "Can I ask you something?"

Louise only blearily looked up.

"…Did you just call me a familiar?"

Louise opened her mouth to respond, but Professor Colbert and Siesta chose that moment to re-enter the room. Siesta nervously set a large silver tray on the table and began pouring out the tea, while Colbert took his seat. Louise let out a heavy, drawn-out sigh, and sat back in her chair with the unhappiest of expressions marring her features. "And I left that food up in the tower too…" She moaned quietly.

"So," Colbert began. He flashed an apologetic smile. "I imagine you must be a little confused."

The maid poured out Alanna's tea with shaking hands. She seemed to be having trouble keeping a straight face. Judging from the column of steam drifting up and away, it was still far too hot. "Well, that's one way to put it," Alanna said.

"She's amnesiac," Louise said grumpily.

Colbert looked between Louise and Alanna. "You're amnesiac?" After seeing Alanna's nod, he sighed in disappointment. "That's truly unfortunate. I had so many questions to ask you."

"Well," Alanna shrugged. "I'm not _completely_ amnesiac."

Perking up, Colbert looked excited. "Really? What do you remember?"

Sporting a cheeky grin, Alanna jabbed her thumb at her chest. "I am Alanna!" She answered enthusiastically. "I think I am anyway."

Colbert's excitement was quickly wiped away. "Is that all?"

Alanna tilted her head. "Pretty much," she told him. "It's strange… I know how to do things. I just don't remember learning how to do them. Little things keep coming back, but none of them are really important."

It sounded a lot like typical amnesia to Colbert. Though, he wasn't particularly versed in the subject. He had prepared a menagerie of questions to ask this person about where she was from, but they would be pointless now. Her features were certainly odd, especially her eyes. Colbert had seen eyes like that before, but he couldn't quite place them. He wondered how an obviously foreign person spoke such perfect Tristanian.

"So what _am_ I doing here?" Alanna asked expectantly.

Louise chose that moment to speak again. "You're my familiar," she said, sipping on her steaming hot tea. "I summoned you."

"You _summoned _me?"

"That is what I said, yes," Louise grumbled.

Alanna leaned back, her face creased in disbelief. "To be your familiar?"

Louise bit back a sigh. "Yes."

"You have _got_ to be kidding," Alanna spat. She could vaguely remember what a mage's familiar was supposed to be. It was the stupid little creature they constantly had around. "I don't remember much, but I don't think people are supposed to become familiars."

"Normally, they don't," Colbert answered smoothly. "It seems that this is a rather… special case." He gave Louise a quick glance. "It also seems as if Miss Valliére has gotten ahead of herself. She has yet to officially bind you as her familiar."

Alanna nodded. "Well that's good, because –"

Louise interrupted by clearing her throat. She suddenly looked flushed, and rather nervous. "A-actually, Professor, about binding her…"

"Miss Valliére?" There was an air of confusion in Colbert's voice. "I understand if you're nervous, but –"

"It isn't that." Louise looked away. "It's just that I've already done it."

Colbert blinked, and then he looked absolutely livid with his student. "Miss Valliére!" He admonished loudly. Louise seemed to flinch with every word. "I hope you realize the gravity of what you have done! Miss Alanna here isn't just some animal, Founder above she's a human being!"

Alanna held up a finger to point out an error on Colbert's part, but something bigger clicked. She rocked to her feet. "Wait, you already bound me? What the hell!?"

"W-w-why does it matter?" Louise said defensively, quailing under the weight of Colbert's glare. "Sh-she's probably just the daughter of some g-goat herder!"

"Goat herder!?" Alanna shrieked. "My father wasn't a goat herder!"

Louise turned on Alanna, and her face twisted. "How do you know? You have amnesia!"

"I _don't _know!" Alanna answered. "But he wasn't some damn goat herder!"

Colbert slammed the end of his staff against the floor, and a gout of flames shot out of the top, warming the table's occupants. Louise was startled, but largely unaffected. Siesta took a step back, letting out a squeak of surprise, and Alanna let out her own bird-like squawk. That earned her the curious stares of everybody in the room.

Alanna rubbed at her throat. "Sorry about that."

It certainly seemed to put a damper on what Colbert had planned to say next. "Compose yourselves, both of you," he said sternly. "The runes, Miss Valliére," he demanded. "Where did they appear?"

Louise pointed meekly. "Her left hand."

"My hand?" Alanna pulled away the leather glove, and ran her eyes across the long string of nonsensical markings tattooed onto her skin. Looking closer, she realized that they weren't tattooed at all. They were literally embedded into her flesh. It was beyond her how she hadn't noticed them before. She chalked it up to being too preoccupied.

The anger seemed to fall right out from under Colbert's feet. "Amazing…" He remarked in astonishment. "I've never seen runes like these before. J-just a moment!" He darted away from the table, nearly bowling over Siesta in the process. "I must record them!"

Alanna only stared at the runes. "So… what do they mean?"

"It's like a big stamp, saying that you're my familiar," Louise answered, her voice quiet. "That's what they're supposed to be. I don't know why they look so strange."

Alanna sighed as Colbert eagerly sketched the runes down. She noticed he was using a piece of charcoal to do it. Did he really not have a pencil lying around? Colbert stared at his handiwork for a moment, before he promptly nodded. "Now," he said jovially. "All of you, out. I'll be having a late night, I believe."

Feeling a little taken aback, Alanna gathered up the rest of her things while the maid wasted no time in letting herself out. The mask and her rifle were the only things left, and since her mask had been broken it was a little pointless to take anyway. Alanna hefted up the cavalry carbine and used its sling to hang it from her shoulder. As she moved for the door, where Louise impatiently waited outside, she was stopped by Professor Colbert.

"Your weapons," he said, sounding serious. "They're certainly not like anything I've ever seen."

Alanna cocked her head. "…Really? I always thought they were pretty run-of-the-mill."

Colbert looked thoughtful. "I can only imagine the land you come from. In all seriousness…"

"I'll be careful," Alanna said reassuringly, winking. As she made for the door, she called back over her shoulder. "I might not look like it, but I know what I'm doing." She paused, scratching at her head. "I think I do, at least." She gave Colbert one last, noncommittal shrug, before she disappeared.

Suffice it to say, Colbert wasn't terribly convinced.

o.o.o


	2. Chapter 2

Louise couldn't quite remember how she had gotten here. She was in one of the Academy's long, sweeping hallways, standing in a stupor for some reason or another. She had merely blinked, and this was where she stood. The magelight lanterns along the walls bathed the stone passage in a warm, welcoming light, yet something felt off. Like all of the passages in the Academy's largest tower, there were no windows. Louise felt confined, and claustrophobic.

Then, she remembered what level this was. Louise recognized several of the paintings along the walls. The infirmary was on this level. _Of course_, she realized, _I came to check on that familiar_. Shoes echoing, Louise broke from her stupor and strode purposely down the passage, searching for the infirmary's door.

Something was wrong. There were no doors, but one. It was the infirmary's door, carelessly left a few inches ajar. Louise felt like she had seen this before.

"No! W-wait!" It was muffled from within the room, but Louise could hear it clear as day. "Please! I –"

There was a piercing scream, mere moments before a thunderous clap echoed through the passage. Louise was frozen in place. She couldn't believe it. Had somebody just been shot? An odd, sweet smell permeated the air.

The infirmary's door slowly creaked open, and the shrill cries of the hinges were almost unbearable in the choking silence. Smoking pistol in hand, a figure wearing a worn long coat stepped into view. It wasn't her familiar. The coat was different. They were too short. The white ceramic mask that covered the hooded head's face bore a rather threatening, unhappy expression. The eyes were angled inward to a narrow, pointed nose, and the mouth was a steep frown that curled up at the edges.

The figure turned her way, and Louise felt rooted to the floor. Two red dots shone in the blackness of the mask's eyes. The smoking pistol swung up, and Louise gazed down the barrel.

There was no danger, right? That gun had just been fired, it couldn't possibly –

Louise watched in horror as the strange cylinder in the middle of the gun spun over with a sure-footed click. Her eyes went wide, and she willed herself, begged herself to run, but her legs refused to move. The last thing she saw was a flash, and a billowing white cloud of smoke.

That was when Louise shot up in her bed, sweating and screaming her head off. Her scream was matched by the strangest bird-like cry. She whipped her head around in both confusion and fright. In the corner of the room, where her armchair was supposed to be, there were two glowing red dots in the darkness.

Much like a banshee, Louise screamed even louder and rolled away in her bed. Unintentionally, she wrapped herself up in her sheets like a cocooned caterpillar and crashed to the floor.

There, she remained. Had she really seen those red eyes, or were they just an image lingering from her dream?

A moment later warm light spread through the room. Louise realized it was her lamp. Tentatively, she peeked up over her bed. The girl standing near the table was only a few inches taller than she was, and had her hair up in a messy ponytail. She looked particularly annoyed. Apparently she had been sleeping in the armchair, using a long grey coat as a blanket. Louise blearily stared into her rather jarring eyes.

Louise blinked. "Who are you?"

The girl's jaw dropped. "Are you serious?"

It took a few moments for Louise to realize. "Oh," she said, yawning. "You're my familiar."

Alanna spread her arms. "What the hell was that about?"

"I had a weird dream," Louise said grumpily. Those red eyes must have been her imagination. They were nowhere to be seen now, and Alanna's eyes definitely weren't glowing any kind of color. "It's none of your concern."

"You scared the living shit out of me!"

As she untangled herself, Louise glared. "Watch your mouth, familiar," she spat venomously.

Alanna pointed dangerously. "I only agreed to this familiar business because I have no other choice." Louise's glare only deepened. "If I wasn't amnesiac I would have told you to get stuffed and I'd be on my way, but I _am_ amnesiac, and I have no idea who I am, or where I am, so –"

"Are you quite finished?" Louise interrupted. She yawned once again. "You bore me."

Swiftly, Alanna whirled around and scooped up her coat.

"And where do you think you're going?"

Alanna first secured the coat's buttons, and then her gun belt. She opted to leave her rifle and its bandolier of beefy cartridges behind for now. Her rather short sabre came next. "It'll be morning soon, so I'm going for a walk."

"A walk?" Louise parroted. She scoffed. "Where?"

"I don't know," Alanna admitted with a grumble, stepping towards the door. "Preferably away from you."

Just as the pink-haired demon screeched into the beginnings of a tirade, Alanna eased the door closed. In the hallway she heaved a deep sigh. Perhaps agreeing to be this girl's familiar hadn't been such a great idea. It would be fine if the noble and proud Louise de la Valliére wasn't such a pompous, insufferable twat.

Her gloves were stuffed in one of her pockets, but Alanna felt no need to don them. She ran a finger over the runes carved into the flesh of her left hand. Then again, it wasn't like she had gotten to choose. That sort of thing really made her bristle. Thanks to her amnesia she didn't have a clue, and that left her feeling rather stuck. Today would be Alanna's first day as a familiar, and she'd be having a not-so-pleasant chat with her so-called master.

Alanna sorely regretted leaving the room with such an excuse. She'd much rather go back to sleep, but stepping back into the room already would make her look stupid. It would also give Louise another reason to be snooty. Alanna resisted the urge to storm back into the room and sock the girl straight on the nose. If she did that, being civil would be out of the question.

So Alanna stuck her hands in her pockets and sauntered down the hallway, yearning for something to stimulate her easily amused mind. Romping down the narrow, curved stairwell, she ran her hand along the polished oak railing. She had the distinct feeling that she had done something devious with a railing like this before, in another school no less. Had she ridden down one on her bottom? Somehow, thinking about that, she remembered the distinct sensation of pain.

_Oh, right. There was this big stone ornament right at the bottom and it hit me right in the…_

Alanna froze at the bottom of the stairs, and grinned wide. Despite once smashing crotch-first into a stone bust, she was happy to have vaguely remembered it.

Several sets of stairs had brought her down from the third floor, to the lobby. The place was empty. The room was a half-circle, with a fountain against the wall. Paintings and stone busts lined the walls, but Alanna had no interest in those. She decided to double-check something she had noticed yesterday. She pulled one of her pistols from its holster, and eyed it over in her hand. The percussion revolver was fully-loaded, but strangely, she hadn't even needed to look at it to know.

She felt light and nimble, even more so than normal. It was jarring. It felt like she could up and float away at any moment. What was this feeling? It continued to swirl within her, intoxicating.

In the corner of her eye Alanna noticed a shimmering light. She looked, and discovered the runes on the back of her left hand were glowing a deep red. What was this all about?

The entrance creaked open, and Alanna watched as a maid stepped in. She carried only a feather duster. Alanna traded stares with the maid for a moment, before finally recognizing her. It was _that_ maid. The one she'd threatened with the lamp. Alanna felt the smallest twinge of guilt, while the maid's face took on a look of horror.

Alanna wondered why the maid would look so scared, but then she realized that standing alone in a room holding a gun might very well cause a misunderstanding.

So Alanna swiftly holstered the pistol. "Oh," she remarked. "I remember you." The maid looked like she wanted to turn tail and run, but something was freezing her in place. Alanna approached, drawing out a rolled cigarette. "Relax," Alanna chided. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"B-but…" The maid sputtered, backing into the closed door. "You said that before… and…"

Alanna laughed loud, and struck a match against the stone wall. She lit her cigarette, and carelessly tossed the little wooden stick away. The maid stared on, eyes wide. "I actually just realized that as soon as I said it. That's kind of embarrassing."

"How did you just…" The maid swallowed. "…Are you a mage?"

"A mage?" Alanna scrunched her nose and flapped her hand. The cigarette bobbed between her lips as she spoke. "Gods, no. Way too stuffy for my liking. I've never met a bunch of people so caught up with looking good in capes and walking straight."

The maid glanced about nervously. "You shouldn't talk like that…" she said quietly. "They could hear."

"Good. Maybe they might notice how stupid they're being. Mages everywhere are the same."

"I… I should get back to my –"

Alanna held up her hand as she stepped forward. "Just hold on a second. I should apologize."

The maid blinked. "…Apologize?

"Yeah, you know, for threatening to murder you with a lamp. You remember that, right?" The maid didn't immediately answer. Staring, Alanna thought the maid might have been deciding on whether there was a right or wrong answer to that. Alanna smiled, and tried to appear as non-threatening as physically possible. It was quite a challenge, considering the amount of weaponry on her person. "I just wanted my stuff back. If it's any consolation, I wasn't _actually_ going to do it."

A huge wave of relief seemed to flow out from under the maid. "Really?" She asked hopefully.

"Yeah!" Alanna insisted with a nod. "I mean, I'm crazy, but… well…" She paused, realizing _that_ wouldn't get her far, and cleared her throat. "I kind of thought I had gotten kidnapped or something."

"It's quite alright." The maid smiled, but the nervousness still crept through. "I understand."

"I should make it up to you," Alanna went on. She smiled deviously. "I could take you out to dinner, if you like."

The maid blanched completely. A bright red flush spread across her cheeks. "T-to… but I… I'm sorry but I don't…"

Alanna laughed. "I wasn't being serious. Relax." _I guess she doesn't swing that way. _She thoughtfully puffed away on her cigarette. A thought struck her. "You know what? I don't even know your name."

The maid heaved out another sigh of relief, and curtsied politely. This person seemed much more pleasant and approachable now. "My name is Siesta," she said, smiling. "And you are Miss Alanna, correct?"

Letting out a snort, Alanna grinned. She was starting to like the sound of 'Miss Alanna' more and more. "Well, I'm _fairly_ certain that's my name. I suppose it'll all come back to me sooner or later."

"I certainly hope so," Siesta said kindly. "But if you'll excuse me, I really must get back to my duties."

"Your duties?" Alanna stepped forward. "What do they have you doing before everybody's even up?"

"The head maid sent me here to dust the statues and –"

Alanna raised a cool eyebrow. "The statues?" She glanced around at the stone busts. "You mean these? In here?"

Siesta nodded. "Yes. It seems they do quite well at collecting dust."

Alanna closed the distance to Siesta and unceremoniously wrapped her arm around the maid's shoulders. "Forget about the statues. I bet they were all a bunch of jerks anyway."

"But…" Siesta shifted nervously. "The head maid…"

"Forget about her too," Alanna told her jovially. She began to walk Siesta towards the center of the room. "If she asks, tell her it's my fault you too so long, and if she has a problem with that, I'll tell her to go get stuffed myself. I actually need your help."

"…My help?"

Alanna smiled wide. "Could you perhaps tell me exactly where I am?"

o.o.o

The Academy of Magic's dining hall was certainly an impressive sight, Alanna supposed. It was in the tallest and centermost tower on campus, the same she had woken up in the previous night. Right now, that infirmary was several floors above her head. Every mage on the school grounds, student and teacher alike, seemed to have gathered here on the ground floor for their breakfast.

There were three ridiculously long tables arranged parallel to each other, and they each looked long enough to seat a hundred people or more. The tables were all packed full. The dining hall had a high, vaulted ceiling with several crystal chandeliers for decoration. They were so massive and ornate Alanna thought they might come free from the skinny chains supporting them. Up at the far end of the room Alanna could see where the teachers had gathered at their own table on a raised area. They were in their own world, and cared little for what was happened below.

Looking, Alanna noticed several different colours of cloaks – black, brown, and violet. What did they signify? Year? Skill? After a moment's thought, Alanna concluded she didn't really care.

"Are you just going to stand there and gawk?"

Alanna stared Louise down. "I'm not gawking."

Louise clicked her tongue and turned away. Alanna followed her alongside the middle table, and couldn't help but noticed all of the stares and whispers. The tables were stacked high with food. It was on the edge of simply being too much. It was like they had prepared a feast. Was today some kind of holiday? She could see everything from baskets packed with fruit to roasted chickens. There were even candles, and vases full of flowers.

Who ate an entire roasted chicken for _breakfast?_ Was that even a breakfast food?

"They don't just teach magic here, you know."

Alanna spared the girl a glance. They were nearing the far end of the table, where the only free seats seemed to be. "Do you people really have entire chickens for breakfast? There's like eighty chickens in here."

"Insufferable idiot…" Louise muttered under her breath. "Almost all mages are nobles. The saying 'nobles achieve nobility through the use of magic' is a foundation for the education we receive a nobles. Thus, our dining halls must also be fitting of a noble's status."

"Oh, really? The pots you crap in must be gold-plated."

Louise stopped and whirled. "What is the matter with you?" She hissed. "Normally, a commoner like you would never even set foot in here! Be grateful."

"Grateful? You forced me into a magical contract against my will." Alanna leaned in, sneering. "I am _so_ grateful. Really, you have no idea."

With an indignant huff, Louise turned on her heel. Alanna grumpily followed behind. Thankfully, they had almost reached the end of the table. Here there were easily over a dozen seats free. Only one was occupied. A blue-haired girl sat by herself, quietly reading a book. Louise stopped, and was a little perturbed when Alanna did nothing at all.

Louise crossed her arms. "Aren't you going to pull out my chair? You're not a very competent familiar."

"You need me to pull out your chair?"

"Obviously."

Alanna snorted disdainfully. "Oh, because what I've always found incredibly difficult, was this." Alanna roughly yanked a chair back, causing the legs to squeal against the floor. "It's a good thing you summoned me to pull out your chairs, or else you'd never get to sit down."

Louise neglected to thank her as she sat down. Alanna roughly jerked the chair forward, jostling Louise to the point where she nearly fell to the floor. She balled her fists on the table. "You insolent…" Louise pointed dangerously. "That's it! You don't get any…"

Watching, Louise saw Alanna casually pull out her own chair and plop down. "I don't get any what?"

"These chairs are only for nobility!" Louise hissed.

"Oh?" Alanna looped her arm over the back. She ripped the leg from the nearest chicken, and had herself a generous bite. Louise looked mortified. "I understand."

"Obviously you don't you imbecile!"

"I do, I do," Alanna insisted. "There's a big difference between being ignorant and not caring. What exactly did you plan on having me do here? Sit on the floor?"

Louise glared, her balled fists shaking.

Alanna sneered, leaning back in her chair. Several of the students were giving her looks of discontent. She relished in them. "I'll tell you what, since you feel so strongly about it. If you can physically remove me from this chair, I will no longer sit in it."

Filled with resentment, Louise simply turned to her breakfast while Alanna watched with shining eyes of amusement. She glanced across the table, and saw that the blue-haired girl was peering at her over the top of her book.

o.o.o

"We need to talk."

It was certainly turning out to be a brilliant spring day. Alanna sauntered behind the young pink-haired mage, hands stuffed in her pockets. The next courtyard had a corner filled with tables and chairs. Several students milled about, all accompanied by their familiars. "What are we doing now?"

Louise bristled. "The second form students have today free to bond with their familiars."

Bonding? Alanna's face soured. "That sounds… engaging."

At random, Louise chose herself a chair and unceremoniously dropped into it. She crossed her arms, and seemed to just glower. "Sit," she said.

Alanna donned an expression of mock surprise. "Oh? I'm _allowed_ to sit down now?"

Louise glowered even more. Taking her seat, Alanna decided to light up another cigarette. Watching the spectacle, Louise sucked her teeth. "Disgusting…"

The comment was ignored. "So what do you want to talk about?"

Before that, Louise flagged down one of the many passing maids. She placed an order for tea and a slice of cake. After, she turned back on Alanna. "We need to set some ground rules. _This_ cannot continue."

"This?"

Louise's lips drew taught. "Your blatant disrespect. I've put up with it thus far because you are my familiar, but I will not tolerate it any longer."

"Really?" Alanna chortled. "And what do you plan on doing, exactly?"

"Any master would discipline their familiar if need be."

Alanna let fly a whoop of laughter. "You're going to discipline me? How? Send me to bed without supper? Please."

Louise's face twisted in on itself. "You little… I'll put the riding crop to your –"

"You'd hit me with a _riding crop?_" Alanna leaned back, smiling. "You could try something like that." She patted one of her pistols, and her smile suddenly vanished. "You _could_ try."

"Are… you…" Louise made to stand. "Are you threatening me?"

"I didn't threaten you." Alanna rolled her eyes. "Here look – If you hit me with a riding crop, I'll blow your God-damn head off. _That's_ a threat."

It seemed like Louise could have flipped the table over just then if the maid hadn't just returned. Breathing in deep through her nose, Louise forced herself to calm down. She closed her eyes. "We need to set ground rules," she repeated.

"I'll tell you what needs to happen." Louise's eyes snapped open. "You need to give me a reason to stay."

"T-to stay?" Louise balked. "But, y-you're my familiar –"

"I don't really care," Alanna interrupted. She blew out a smoky breath. "I'm a big girl, and I can take care of myself. I haven't heard of any Tristain before, or Halkeginia, but I'll manage. I always have." She flexed her left hand. "Because as of right now I don't really feel any obligation to actually _be_ your familiar. You're being very unkind to me."

"Haven't heard of…" Louise shook her head. "Never mind that... you-you cannot just leave!"

"Why?"

"You just can't!"

Alanna noted that the girl was beginning to look rather desperate. "Look, I can be reasonable…"

Louise made a grimace. "I need you."

"You need me?"

"I…" Louise faltered, and cleared her throat. She looked away. "You… you are the only proof that I am worthy of my family's name. I _need_ you to stay. If you were to leave, I would be a disgrace, I would be disowned, I…" She looked away, letting out a bitter scoff. "I cannot believe I'm saying this to you…"

Alanna pulled the untouched teacup and saucer across the table. She gave the steaming tea a swirl, before having herself a sip. Louise stared, mouth agape in disbelief. "So, I'm expected to stay out of the pure goodness of my heart?"

"Then what do you want?" Louise bit out.

Perking up, Alanna grinned. "What was that?"

"What do you _want_ me to give you, so you will stay?"

Alanna's grin broadened. "First off, you'll have to pay me."

"Fine," Louise harrumphed. Her monthly allowance would make most green with envy, she knew. A portion of it to pay a commoner to satisfaction would be nothing. She hadn't even been using it anyway.

That had been easier than Alanna expected. She licked her lips in anticipation. She hadn't been in regular employ before. "And I want my own bed."

Louise's brow furrowed. "Your own bed?"

"I'm not sleeping on that pile of hay." Alanna pointed dangerously with the remainder of her cigarette. "And that chair was hell on my back last night."

Louise slumped forward, resting her head in her arms. "Why me…" She dragged out. Her head came up, but only just. "I can't just… whisk up a bed out of nothing. It would take a day or two."

"That's fine." Alanna seemed to be paying more attention to her tea. "Hey, this is actually really good."

"If I am to give you these things, then you at least… must…" Louise started paying attention to something over Alanna's head. "Um…"

"What?" Alanna looked up, cigarette hanging from her mouth, and was bewildered to find a floating ball of water. It hung silent in the air for a few moments, before gravity took over and it came right down over her head. Louise could only look on in horror, before she finally realized what had happened.

Kirche von Zerbst stood not far away with another girl at her side – a blonde, with her long hair done in bouncy curls. Montmorency de Montmorency. They were both giggling madly behind hands, while light laughter came from all around. Even the maids had stopped moving to watch.

"Sorry about that, Zero!" Kirche called, laughing. "It just looked like your commoner needed a wash!"

Montmorency looked upon Alanna with disdain. "No amount of washing could ever help _that_ hair."

Alanna stood so fast that her chair fell over backward. She spat her doused cigarette to the ground. Thankfully, the cup of tea hadn't been soiled. She had another sip. Louise came to her side, fists balled. "Zerbst! Flood!" She crowed. "Founder above! What is the matter with you two? You've gotten my familiar soaked!"

Hair clinging to her head, Alanna took the few steps to close the distance to Montmorency.

Montmorency turned to Kirche, making a noise of disgust. "Oh look, it's going to try and talk to me."

With a final sigh, Alanna threw the remainder of the tea onto Montmorency's white blouse, staining it. There were several gasps floating through the air. Even Kirche looked a little shocked. Montmorency, however, took on the face of the devil. "You…" The wand shook in her hand.

Alanna's hand hovered over her pistol. "Do something about it," she said to the girl, urging her.

Several tense moments passed, before the blonde girl turned on her heel, head high. "You have made a grave mistake," she said, before strolling away to presumably gather a change of clothes. Kirche remained for a moment longer, shot Alanna a raised eyebrow, and then followed after her friend.

Louise was seething. "Those two… I swear one day I'm going to…" She didn't finish, simply curling her fingers in the air. "I-idiots!"

Alanna pursed her lips thoughtfully. "You know what? I think we might be able to get along just fine."

There was a loud huff. "What makes you think that?"

"Because." Alanna wiped her forehead on her sleeve. "You seem to hate most people, and I know I definitely hate most people. We have that in common."

Crossing her arms, Louise snorted sardonically. "You're quite right about that."

o.o.o

_Be warned, these author's notes may contain spoilers._

_Just a few notes. Alanna is from a world reminiscent of the mid-1800's. Her country is a mix of America/England, as such, if Alanna were to speak English it would be in an English accent (because of her amnesia, she doesn't actually realize she's speaking Tristanian because of contract servant)._

_Alanna's weapons are also from this era, mechanically. They function a little differently, that'll come up later. Her pistols could be compared to 1858 Remington revolvers, which is a percussion revolver loaded using loose powder and shot. I decided upon this mostly because I didn't want Alanna to be too overpowered with her guns. (I made edits in the last chapter to reflect this). In combat, once she runs them empty there's no feasible way for her to spend the time needed to reload. Also, I didn't want her pistols to be completely useless once she runs out of her own ammunition. Her rifle is based on a cavalry carbine version of the Sharps Rifle, which is a large bore single-shot rifle fed by metallic cartridges. _


End file.
